Moran told to quit or the bay tree gets it

Luton Today reports that comedian and political activist Mark Thomas kidnapped Margaret Moran’s £50 bay tree, paid for by the taxpayer. He said:

“Instead of clinging to office for the sake of your salary and pension, for the sake of democracy you must stand down. You have until 7.58pm on Sunday, August 2, 2009 to resign or your bay tree will pay the price.”

But with no resignation forthcoming, the bay tree met its fate on the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. A friend of the comedian who had signed up to take part in the art exhibit, where members of the public can stand for an hour, climbed onto the plinth with the tree and a sign urging the MP to stand down.

With the Ms Moran unwilling to negotiate the tree was unceremoniously chopped in two and its head thrown into the watching crowd.

But in the end the tree did benefit the public who had paid for it – its leaves were used to flavour a giant batch of minestrone soup served up at a nearby bar.

A spokesman for the MP said she was aware of the theft but had not reported it to the police.